A tornado watch and thunderstorm warnings blanketed the Coulee Region Wednesday night, with the National Weather Service extending flood warnings in Trempealeau, Jackson and Buffalo counties in western Wisconsin.

The volatile weather is expected to usher in a period of lighter showers through the weekend, as well as temperature plunges of nearly 30 degrees from daytime highs in the 80s Tuesday and Wednesday to highs near 60 degrees Thursday.

Shortly after Gov. Scott Walker visited storm-ravaged areas and included Jackson in a listing of counties covered under a state of emergency, the weather service predicted that storms Wednesday night could produce large …